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"Systems Thinking is a Top 10 Future Job Skill"
Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs 2025 Report
"Today's Most Crucial Leadership Skill Is Systems Thinking"
Source: Forbes 2025
THE SCIENCE OF
SYSTEMS + THINKING
Studying the Shared Structure of Mind and Nature
OVERVIEW
Born at Cornell University, Cabrera Research Lab (CRL) is a theoretical and empirical research lab focused on the deep structure of thought and the systems of the real world. We investigate how cognition organizes information, and how this structure mirrors the systems found in nature—from ecosystems and organizations to scientific theories and social behavior.
Our goal is to understand and model how the human mind works, not in isolation, but as part of the natural world.
We study cognition as a structural system—a system that shapes and is shaped by the physical, biological, and social systems it seeks to understand. Our work is grounded in systems theory, cognitive and neuroscience science, and formal modeling.
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Our vision, since 1996, has been 8 Billion Systems Thinkers.
WHY IT MATTERS
We use nature—not just metaphorically, but structurally—as a lens for cognition. Mountains, watersheds, forests, rivers, clouds: these are not just natural forms, but complex systems that reveal the same structural logic found in thought.
Our research reflects this symmetry. As we climb the mountain of knowledge, we ask: Can our thinking match the structure of the world we seek to understand?
Every decision, design, discovery, and dysfunction begins in thought. Yet few scientific fields ask how thought is structured.
At CRL, we believe that understanding this structure is foundational. It reveals:
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Why complex problems are misunderstood
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How teams and institutions fail to learn
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What makes some ideas fragile and others enduring
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How to design mental models that scale
The alignment between mind and nature is not philosophical—it is structural, testable, and vital.
SCIENCE TO SOCIETY
We are a science-to-society research lab. We believe it is our ethical obligation to promote real science (not academia) and make it accessible and useful to the taxpayers who pay for it. Our Podcast is the primary vehicle for getting the science in the hands of the public and is ranked in the Top 2% of podcasts worldwide. We've partnered with STSI® to amplify our podcast worldwide.
Cabrera Lab is a Science Partner of STSI® –– the leading Authority on Systems Thinking Standards and evidence-based training and credentials
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Cabrera Lab is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Lab Leadership
CORE AREAS OF STUDY
WE TURNED THINKING INTO SCIENCE.
For the first time, what was once just a vague idea—thinking—is now a structured, testable, teachable discipline. We measure how the way people think shapes what they do, how they feel, and the results they get in the real world.
We study how to think adaptively to get things right and fast in complex situations.
STRUCTURAL COGNITION
From the symmetry of a butterfly’s wings to the neural logic of artificial intelligence, we explore the elemental structures that shape thought. DSRP—Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives—form the basis of how humans and collectives organize information, solve problems, and adapt to complexity.
EXISTENCE IN NATURE RESEARCH
We study the structural mechanics that mind and nature share. Whether in the atomic, molecular, human, social, or geologic scale, our work reveals that cognition is not separate from the world—it reflects it. These patterns—Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives—emerge in both mind and matter, showing that thinking is as much a natural phenomenon as photosynthesis or gravity.
MODEL-WORLD ALIGNMENT
Like a mountain goat reading ridgelines or a rover interpreting Martian soil, intelligent systems rely on internal models to navigate external reality. Whether it’s a home constructed from plans or a mind making sense of the world, the outcome depends on structural alignment. We study the alignment between mental models and the real-world systems they represent—investigating how better cognitive structure leads to better perception, prediction, and performance.
STRUCTURAL PREDICTIONS
Developing formal models that allow for predictive insights into behavior, learning, adaptation, and systemic outcomes—based not on content, but on the structure of cognition itself. This research explores how universal cognitive patterns (DSRP) and model–world alignment can forecast system dynamics across domains, from individual reasoning to institutional design.
FRACTAL ISOMORPHISM
We find the same recursive logic in the veins of leaves, the design of coral reefs, the architecture of cities, and the patterns of online networks. Our work examines how cognition and nature both express fractal, self-similar structures—scaling from individual thought to global systems.
COGNITIVE MICRO MECHANICS
What are the smallest moving parts of thought? We investigate the fine-grained structures that underlie cognition—micro-moves, conceptual atoms, and structural operators that form the “gears” of mental processing.
Like proteins folding in a cell or nanobots operating in a machine, these mechanics are often invisible but deeply influential. Our research uncovers, visualizes, and models these microstructures to reveal how thought is built—and how it can be rebuilt.
IMPROVED MENTAL FITNESS
Like physical fitness for the mind, mental fitness is trainable, measurable, and essential. We explore how structural cognition enhances seven core domains:
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Analytical – dissecting complexity
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Synthetic – building connections
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Creative – generating novelty
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Emotional – understanding affect
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Motivational – aligning goals and purpose
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Physical/Embodied – integrating movement and mindset
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Adaptive - most of all, adaptivity
From alpine climbers to special operators to classroom and boardroom focus, our work shows how systems thinking strengthens cognitive agility, clarity, and adaptability. As part of this research CRL is the primary source for the identification, validation, and certification of new "mental moves."
REAL-WORLD PRACTICE PROTOCOLS
We test whether learning to think in structured ways actually makes life better. Our research asks simple but powerful questions:
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Does it help people make better decisions?
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Does it lead to better therapy? Better teamwork? Better leadership? Better outcomes?
Through experiments, real-world case studies, and long-term tracking, we measure how structured thinking impacts emotions, actions, relationships, and results.
From classrooms to clinics, boardrooms to crisis situations, we gather evidence on what works. Our goal is to show—not just say—that thinking more clearly and systematically leads to better performance, better well-being, and better problem solving.
Numbers
30
YEARS OF SCIENCE
$20M
FUNDING
1000s
PUBLICATIONS
#1
IN SYSTEMS THINKING
CAREERS
We’re looking for innovative talent to join our team. See all positions and submit your CV.